For those who take responsibility for orchestrating their family holiday celebrations, the 24-hour period that begins with dinnertime on Christmas Eve can be one of the most stressful times of the year unless the cook has done ample planning and cooking ahead of time. If the Olympics had a multitasking event, cooking for the holidays would be it.

The three meals typically associated with Christian celebrations of the holiday — the Christmas Eve supper, Christmas morning breakfast and Christmas dinner — are no time to be cooking from scratch. For the sake of everyone’s sanity, the menu should be planned well in advance, and as many dishes as possible should be ready to pop into the oven or to go straight to the table.

My mother was something of an expert at this. She always had pretty much finished her cooking for the holidays by the morning of the 24th, meaning that she merely had to bake or reheat most dishes right before the meal.

It helped that she had an extra refrigerator in the basement. But one year, when the guest list grew large and she prepared more food than usual, she resorted to storing some of it on a screened porch where the temperatures were in the low 30s. Among the items parked on the porch awaiting the oven was the leg of lamb for Christmas dinner, which she already had rubbed down with garlic.

She soon realized, although too late, that the aging family dog really wasn’t as arthritic and infirm as she had been led to believe. In fact, the same dog that hardly could be bothered to move under ordinary circumstances was fully capable of jumping high enough to drag the leg of lamb down off a tall, deep table.

Needless to say, he had a very merry Christmas.

The following Christmas morning pastry can be prepared in advance and refrigerated — not stored on the porch. The recipe, which is from the December issue of Cooking Light, makes four loaves, and the extras can be given away as gifts.

Apricot-cream cheese braid

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Dough:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (8-ounce) carton light sour cream

2 packages dry yeast (about 4 1/2 teaspoons)

1/2 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

2/3 cup apricot preserves

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 (8-ounce) blocks less-fat cream cheese, softened

1 large egg, lightly beaten

cooking spray

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons fat-free milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To prepare dough, combine first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; cool. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream mixture and 2 eggs. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with knife. Gradually stir flour into sour cream mixture (dough will be soft and sticky). Cover dough; chill 8 hours of overnight.

To prepare filling, combine preserves and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended.

Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Turn each portion out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 or 5 times. Roll each portion into a 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Spread one-fourth of the filling over each portion, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Starting at a long side, carefully roll up each portion jelly roll fashion; pinch seam and ends to seal.

Place two loaves on each of 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Cut 4 (1/4-inch deep) Xs in top of each loaf with scissors. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 25 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place 1 baking sheet in oven (cover remaining loaves to keep from drying). Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Repeat procedure with remaining loaves. Cool loaves slightly. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle warm loaves with glaze.

Makes 4 loaves, 10 slices per loaf.